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Is the Internet Dead?

What if the internet as we know it isn't really alive anymore? Some believe the web died around 2016-2017, and most of what we see today is controlled by bots, algorithms, and AI. This idea, known as the “Dead Internet Theory,” first surfaced on 4chan in the late 2010s, but it gained mainstream attention by 2021, just before AI platforms like ChatGPT became widely known.

According to the Dead Internet Theory, 2016-2017 marked the decline of real human interaction online. Bots started taking over, creating fake content, comments, and social media posts. This was done to push certain products or ideas and to control the masses.

Many believe that algorithms now decide what we see, like, and share. Rather than genuine content from real people, AI-generated posts dominate our feeds, tailored to manipulate how we perceive the world and what we buy.

The theory claims that many accounts we interact with are bots, not real people. These bots are created to mimic human behavior, making it difficult to tell what’s genuine and what’s not. With Europol estimating that by 2026, 90% of social media posts will be AI-generated, this fear is growing.

While AI has many benefits, critics argue that it’s replacing true human creativity. Instead of organic conversations or content, we are bombarded with machine-generated information that lacks authenticity.

Another aspect of the Dead Internet Theory is that the internet is now more about selling than connecting. Companies use bots and AI to promote products, making it hard to know whether we're reading genuine reviews or AI-crafted ads.

The fear is that as AI grows, we’ll lose our ability to distinguish between real and fake online experiences. Social media could become a hollow shell, filled with nothing but algorithmic noise, leaving us disconnected from true human interaction.

As AI continues to shape the online world, the Dead Internet Theory might seem less like a conspiracy and more like a warning. Whether the internet is truly "dead" or just evolving, one thing is clear: the digital landscape is changing faster than we ever imagined.

Stay tuned,

BREEFX ✨

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